


What We Are

by Kali_Blue



Series: In the Aftermath [2]
Category: Fable (Video Games), Fable 3 (Video Game)
Genre: Albion, Childhood Friends, Dark, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, Regret, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 11:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13703631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kali_Blue/pseuds/Kali_Blue
Summary: Elliot turned his head away. His heart squeezed in his chest but he forced the dreaded words out, ‘if you marry someone. Produce an heir.  A noblewoman of the court will do. I’d still stay as you’re advisor and as you’re… lover.’‘Oh Elliot, why are you always so…’ the king drew in a painful breath and reached out with both hands to cup his face. He made absolutely certain that Elliot looked at him directly in the eyes. ‘Would you really do it?’Elliot gritted his teeth and countered, ‘I would.’





	What We Are

The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

It matched the atmosphere of the council chambers, which always seemed to emit an ominous tension. The walls were made of an ancient stone with high glass windows. It was day now, but at night the glass panes allowed the moon to cast an ominous glow across the room.  A large painting of the royal family hung on the back wall. It was framed by blood red drapes. Old suits of armour stood in all four corners of the room. They were black as night and used to terrify Elliot as a child.

While other rooms had been refurbished after Logan had lost the throne, this particular chamber was never something Elliot’s lover had sought to change. A strategic decision, and Elliot could understand why. His fellow advisors feared this place because of the former king; his lover had used that to his advantage on more than one occasion.  

Elliot stifled a sigh as he cast his gaze across the large circular table. Their fear of the king hadn’t been enough to prevent a ‘request’ for this meeting.

Directly to his right sat a large, portly man with heavy jowls, while another one chair over was thin as a rake with beady black eyes. They’d look as different as night and day if not for the same air of self-importance both seem to wear like invisible cloaks. To Elliots left sat a pair of greying twins with matching green robes. Those two, Elliot noted in amusement, sat closest to the door.    

Elliot moved his head forward and up slightly to meet the stare of his childhood friend and lover. It was blessedly brief, thankfully, and the king moved to examine each of the advisors in turn. As the king was perched on a raised, high-backed chair, the others had to look _up_ slightly to meet his eyes.    

‘This had better be good. I have half a dozen other things I could be attending to this morning.’

Silence. A palpable fear of who would speak first. They sat, straight backed and hushed, their heads in the direction of the king but not quite meeting his eyes. As though they were afraid that he’d turn those bottomless pits towards them and steal their souls if he even brushed gazes with any of them.

Elliot wouldn’t be all that surprised if it _wasn’t_ within the king’s abilities. 

It was the large man with heavy jowls who had the courage to open his mouth. ‘Sire, the marriage proposal…’

Elliot’s hand, which gripped the arm of the chair, tightened almost painfully. The advisors were playing a dangerous game.

Of the lot of them, it was hazel-eyed, lean Elliot who was lacking in any fear for his life. But even _he_ remained still for fear of catching the king’s attention. Even hardened as the other four were by their experiences with the king’s brother, every single one of them would have been happy disappear into his chair.

As frightening the previous king had been, Logan had never been in danger from the darkness that was so clearly engulfing his younger brother. The king looked like he would rise from his chair and kill them all. Eyes that used to be a soft blue had gone a hard black. If one peered close enough they would see the iris was outlined by a faint reddish hue. Black tribal tattoos, in languages that had always been incomprehensible to Elliot, ran down his arms in intricate twining patterns. They glowed with a soft menacing light.

The voice that emerged was nothing short of clipped and stiffly formal, ‘come again, gentlemen?’

‘Sire, we mean no disrespect.’ The first advisor babbled, hands up as though he were afraid the king would reach out and break his neck. Logan would have. But he seemed unaware that the gesture was disrespectful. ‘We need stability. We need reassurance. It’s been years since you’ve taken the throne and you’ve shown no sign of producing an heir. No sign of marrying…’

Something horrible clawed at the bottom of Elliot’s stomach. Marriage. Heir. All the things that Elliot couldn’t give his lover.

‘That is why,’ the advisor continued doggedly, hands continuing to flutter about his person. ‘It would be best to consider the marriage proposal with the princess. Peace, sire. Peace with the neighbouring country is what we so sorely need. Why, already the lady has gained a reputation as one of the most beautiful woman in the realm!’

‘Gentlemen,’ the king interrupted sharply, and in unison the old men seemed to shrink in on themselves. ‘Whether the lady is a beauty or not is irrelevant in my mind. That the princess in question is just passing _fourteen is._ She’s hardly fit to be called a ‘woman’ yet.’

‘Your majesty, her father is more than amenable…’

‘Her father may be, but I am not. I will not marry a child.’ The king cut off harshly.

‘Then if I may be so bold. At the very least, if you consider a noblewoman of the court…’

‘NO!’ his lover’s booming voice startled them all. ‘We have had this discussion on numerous occasions, gentlemen. I will marry when I am ready. I will produce an heir when I am ready. There are far more pressing matters to attend to at this point in time - such as dealing with the fact that the kingdom is falling down around our ears. People are dying as we speak. This is the last time we will have this discussion unless you would like to be appointed to another position. Something, say, well below the status of the current one you all seem to so enjoy. A servant, perhaps.’

‘But…’

‘Am I clear?’                                                                                                                                  

‘Yes, sire.’ They all squeaked as one. Elliot hid a laugh behind a cough. To distracted by their king’s wraith, it luckily went unnoticed.

‘Excellent. You are dismissed.’ The king waved at the door and the advisors all rose from their seats, ‘except for you, Elliot. ’

Elliot stepped away from his chair and bowed, ‘sire.’

The second advisor with beady black eyes stopped.  ‘Surely sire, any matter involving Elliot should involve…’

A mere look was enough to send them all for the door. It shut with a quiet click. Elliot tried desperately to stifle a laugh. When he turned back to his lover, that urge was snuffed out as quickly as it had come. He slid back into his chair as a sense of dread rose in him. The king was silent for a time. The young man suddenly wished with fervent passion he had been the one allowed to leave. He braced himself for what he knew was coming.

‘You could have said something.’ The king commented softly, eyes receding to a gentle gray.

Damn, ‘what could I have said? What they said wasn’t wrong.’

Oh god. _Wasn’t wrong. Wasn’t wrong._ How he wished he could take it back. Claws raked at his guts with those dreaded words. Instead he tried to soften the impact by adding, ‘I… anything I said would have sounded suspicious.’

‘Hardly. You could have said we needed to focus our efforts on steering the kingdom clear of the darkness. You could have said that there are pools of potential heirs among my numerous cousins; even name some of the bastards I suspect my supposedly straight-laced brother sired among some of the married courtiers.  You could have said anything, Elliot. Anything except what would separate me from you.’

‘I… couldn’t. It would implicate us. Ruin you.’

There was wry amusement in the king’s voice, ‘they already know about us, Elliot. Surely you’re not so naive you didn’t notice.’

Naive. It was like a knife to his heart that his own lover would call him that. Yes, he’d once been an idealistic and even naive soul. Those days were long gone. Despite himself Elliot felt his jaw set and his back go straight. Without thinking an old childhood nickname came out. ‘They know only through rumours, Wren. Gossip and speculation are not solid proof. We’ve been keeping a low profile until now. Heaven knows how we got away with it. I certainly don’t’

The king looked away, ‘we haven’t.’

Elliot froze, and a feeling icy dread crawled up his spine. Oh. Maybe, under all that cynicism and snark he’d developed to survive in court… maybe he did still have a shred of naivety in him. Of course not. Of course a secret involving the two of them, a love affair lasting for years now, could hardly be kept a secret forever.   

Elliot almost feared to speculate what had been done to the poor souls who knew. If they were lucky, bribes would be enough for those smart enough to keep their mouths shut. More likely, however, the individual who was aware of such a secret would meet their maker in the form of a silent dagger in the back.

Elliot closed his eyes, ‘should I ask?’

The king moved to sit next to Elliot, eyes void-empty and bereft of any emotion, ‘why ask something you already know the answer to?’

Wren could have lied. Elliot almost wished he had. There were occasions for false platitudes and soft reassurances, however, and today was not one of them. The weight of the world crushed Elliot’s chest. He had so much responsibility; so many depending on him just from this decision alone. There was only one solution Elliot could think of that would benefit the kingdom and prevent any more loss of life because of their secret.

‘I’ll stay, if you decided to do it.’ Elliot blurted out suddenly.

The king’s brows drew together, ‘decide what?’

Elliot turned his head away. His heart squeezed in his chest but he forced the dreaded words out, ‘if you marry someone. Produce an heir.  A noblewoman of the court will do. I’d still stay as you’re advisor and as you’re… lover.’

‘Oh Elliot, why are you always so…’ Wren drew in a painful breath and reached out with both hands to cup his face. He made absolutely certain that his lover looked at him directly in the face. ‘Would you really do it?’

Elliot gritted his teeth and countered, ‘I would.’

Wren sighed, ‘No you won’t, because I won’t ever put you in that position.’

‘You need to see reason.’

‘I have, believe me.’

Elliot lifted his chin stubbornly, ‘Sometimes doing what’s right means... ’

Before he could launch into a speech about the necessity of self-sacrifice, Wren placed a finger to his lover’s lips.  ‘Yes yes, we both need to think about what’s best for the kingdom. Ever have you been the selfless one, Elliot. Almost to a fault. I’m not sure that side of yours has ever been an entirely healthy one.’

Outwardly, Elliot leaned away and scoffed at his lover. ‘That’s irrelevant to the discussion at hand.’ The voice that came out was of a cold, realistic advisor. One that Elliot had cultivated throughout the years. One that was _practical_ about the situation.

Except a larger part of him, a _much_ larger one, cursed every word that emerged from his lips. What was left of the young, idealistic man he’d been, the one who’d once railed at the injustice of the world, informed him he _shouldn’t_ have to share his long-time partner and friend. 

 ‘Oh, but it is. We both know deep down that a marriage would eventually force you away from me.’

‘I said I wouldn’t leave. What would it take to get you to believe me?’

‘Nothing. You’re selfless enough, I suppose.’

‘Then what’s the issue?’ Elliot pressed the king, leaning in just a little.

It took a while for Wren to respond, pursing his lips in thought. When he did the words were careful and measured. ‘For arguments sake, let’s say you were selfless enough to stand by while another shared my bed. The problem lies in that I know you, Elliot. You may be far more guarded than you used to be, but what you think and what you say are two completely separate things. You wouldn’t have to leave me _physically_. I’d just lose you in a completely different way, which would be even worse than if you’d outright abandoned me.’

Shame rose in him, precisely because Elliot _had_ considered abandoning his king before. It must have shown in his expression, but Wrens response was only a shrug. ‘I know you’ve thought about it, once or twice.’

‘I… I haven’t,’ Elliot winced at his weak answer. Both the hesitation and denial were too little too late.

‘You have,’ the king contradicted him softly, absently carding his fingers through Elliot’s bangs. ‘Not that I’ve ever blamed you for it. You’ve never put those thoughts into actions, for which I will be forever grateful. But let us speak of what we both know is happening. I’m fading away,  and in a similar manner to my mother.  We both remember her state of mind towards the end of her reign.’

Elliot nodded slowly to this, and the king gave him a tight smile. ‘I’m also a corrupt soul, Elliot. Every year the darkness digs a little deeper, the voices in my head grow ever louder and I do things that I swore, once, never to do.’

Elliot moved both hands to either side of his lover’s head. ‘I know,'  the young man said gently.

Wren jerked his head in stiff acknowledgement. ‘And so, we both know there _will_ come a time when I succumb completely, and when that day comes you may have no choice but to…’ The king breathed through his nose, as though the thought was too painful to process. 

‘Leave.’ Elliot supplied, leaning his forehead against his lover.

Wren nodded painfully, the movement tickling Elliot’s forehead. ‘Yes. Think, then, of what would happen should I choose to marry a woman. Do you think I want to hasten that day?’

Elliot made a last ditch attempt to answer with something logical, something _sensible_. That their lives shouldn’t _matter_ in the grand scheme of things.

Nothing came out. 

‘See?’ Wren said when realisation dawned on Elliot’s face. ‘You’re my light, Elliot. The one thing in this world that keeps me sane. Perhaps it makes me selfish but to lose you, in _any_ way, would literally mean the death of me that much sooner.’


End file.
